Explosionproof switch housing



April 8, 1939. R. H. OLLEY I 2,154,821

EXPLOS IONPROOF SWITCH HOUS ING Filed June 30, 1937 m OR:

ATTORNEY 5 Patented Apr. 18, 1939 PATENT OFFICE EXPLOSIONPROOF SWITCH HOUSING Raymond B. Olley, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Grouse-Hinds Company, Syracuse, N. Y... a cornotation of New York Application June 30, 1937, Serial No. 151,268-

"7Claims.

This invention has to do with explosionprooi housings in which switches and like apparatus are mounted, and which are operable fromthe outside of the housing.

The invention has as an object a particularly efficient and economical construction, the main body portion of which may consist 01' a conventional or standard cylindrical conduit fitting in which the switch is conveniently mounted and the operating parts of the housing conveniently assembled, and the structure and arrangement of the component parts of the housing are such that the exterior operating element for the electrical device may be conveniently arranged to operate in any desired position, and when the structure is assembled the interior of the housing is sealed in flame tight relationship.

The invention consists in the'novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a switch housing embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the housing with the closure or plug removed illustrating the switch mounting.

Figure 3 is a transverse,' sectional view of the housing with the switch shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the closure or plug removed from Figure 2.

The body I0 is here shown as of cylindrical formation, and may be provided with one or more conventional hubs II which are threaded internally to receive the conduit enclosing the wires. The body ID may be of any suitable size or shape, and is provided with an internally threaded opening in one side to receive a threaded sleeve I2, the periphery of which abuts against the marginal face about the threaded opening, and is formed with a depending portion I3 having a plurality of radially inwardly extending bosses I 4.

The bosses II are provided with threaded apertures I5 to receive screws I6 employed for detachably mounting a switch I1, or similar piece of apparatus, to the sleeve. As here shown, the depending flange I3 is provided with three equally spaced apart bosses II. The inner surface of the sleeve I2 is threaded internally to receive the threaded periphery of a closure or plug I 8. Preferably, means is provided in the nature of a set screw I9, threaded through the peripheral flange of the closure I2 and coacting with the marginal surface about the opening of the body III, to secure the sleeve from rotation relative to the body.

The switch Il may be mounted on the bosses II in any suitable manner as by a supporting brace connected to the switch and extending between two of the bosses I 4. It is contemplated that the housing'oi this invention shall be used with a switch having, or so mounted as to have, an actuating element extending in a plane transversely of the axis of the sleeve I2 and operable switch and operable to operate said elementupon rotation of the closure I8. As here shown, this means consists of an arm 22 pivotally mounted at one end to the plug I8, as by screw 23. The arm 22 extends transversely across the inner end of the plug, and at its opposite or free end is formed with a depending portion 24 biiurcated to engage the switch actuating element 2I. The arm 22 is movable about its pivot from the exterior of the housing or closure I8 by means of a screw 25 threaded through the plug I8 and cooperable with the arm 22 to move the free end thereof axially of the sleeve I2.

As here shown, the inner end 01' the screw is formed with a reduced portion 26, and the arm 22 is formed intermediate its ends with adjoining holes, one of which, 21, is large enough to permit the lower end 01 the screw to be passed therethrough, and the adjoining hole is of such dimension as to receive the reduced stem 25 of the screw. The closure I8, opposite the screw 23, is provided on its inner surface with an axially extending rib 28 which coacts with the bifurcated end oi the arm 22 and guides the same during pivotal movement about the screw 23. The arm 22 is held from rotation about the screw 25 hy the screw 23 and rib 28.

In operation, the sleeve I2 is threaded into the body ill, and the wires attached to the switch ii. The switch is then mounted upon the bosses I4 and the plug or closure I8 screwed into the sleeve. The plug or closure I8 is then threaded into the sleeve, and at this time the screw 25 is backed outwardly moving the free end 24 of the arm 22 toward the top of the closure. When the closure I8 has been screwed into the sleeve I2 to the right position, thescrew 25 is threaded inwardly moving the bifurcated end of the arm 22 into engagement with the actuating element H of the switch. Upon rotation, or oscillation, oi the closure I8, the switch is moved into on and off positions.

In order that no difiiculty will be incurred in properly locating the closure I8 in the sleeve I2, the closure and sleeve are provided with com-j plemental markings. As here shown, the outer or top surface of the closure is provided with a on said sleeve,

transversely extending rib 30 which serves as a handle for operating the closure when the housing is assembled, and which is formed with a pointed end 3|. The peripheral flange of the sleeve I2 is provided with pairs of markings 33, 34. The pairs of markings 33, 34 are arranged in register with the switch supporting bosses |4. That is, when the point 3| is in register with one of the marks 33 on the sleeve |2, a bifurcated end 24 of the arm 22 is in register with the actuating element 2| of switch I! when the switch is in the of! position. Accordinglydf the closure I8 is screwed into the sleeve |2 until the rib 30 or point 3| is in register with the mark 33, the arm 22 is movable into engagement with the actuating element 2| by operation of the screw 25.

.The purpose of having three pairs of marks 33, 34 is to minimize the adjustment between the sleeve l2 and housing III that might be necessary to be made in order to bring the operating range of the rib 30 into the desired position. That is, it might be desired to have the rib 3|) extend horizontally when in the of! or the on position. If the sleeve l2 should happen to tighten against the marginal surface about the opening of the housing with the markings 33; 34 positioned as shown in Figure 1, it would be necessary to back the sleeve |2 out of the housing a small portion of a turn to bring the mark 34 in horizontal registration with the center of the housing. The sleeve can be maintained in this position by tightening the set screw i9. Inasmuch as the sleeve i2 and closure I8 may be with conventional cylindrical conduit outlet boxes, the sleeve |2 may tighten in a diflerent position on one box than on another, and if the sleeve tightens on a particular box so as to bring the markings 33, 34 entirely out of the desired registration, or operating position, the switch I! may be mounted on a different pair of bosses H which effects a shift of of the switch. This shift frequently will locate the operating member 30 in the desired position. However, if not, it is only necessary to make an adjustment of a fractional part of a turn of the sleeve I2 relative to the outlet box or body Hi.

It will be observed that this housing is particularly economical in manufacture in that the component parts-are joined together by threaded connection which, even though the parts are machined with considerable tolerance, acts as an efficient baiiie of ignited gases and prevents the escape of ignited gases to the outer atmosphere.

What I claim is:

1. An explosionproof switch housing comprising a body provided with an internally threaded opening in one side thereof, a sleeve threaded into said opening, a switch mounted in the housing a closure member rotatably mounted in said sleeve in flame tight relationship therewith, and means carried by said closure member and engageable with the actuating element of the switch to effect movement of the same to on and off positions upon rotation of said closure member.

2. An explosionproof switch housing comprising an internally threaded body, a sleeve threaded in the body, a switch supported in the body by said sleeve and having an actuating element extending at an angle to the axis of said sleeve and being movable in an arcuate path to on and of! positions, a closure member threaded into said sleeve, an actuating member carried by said closure member and movable into engagement with said actuating element of the switch, and

operable to effect movement of said element upon rotation of said closure member, and means operable from the exterior of the closure member for moving said actuating member into engagement with the actuating element of he switch.

3. An explosionproof switch housing comprising a body provided with an internally threaded opening in one side thereof, a sleeve threaded into said opening, a switch mounted on the inner end of said sleeve and having an actuating element extending transversely of the axis of said sleeve and being movable in an arcuate path to on and off positions, a plug threaded into said sleeve, an arm mounted on the inner side of said plug and being movable axially of the same toward and from said actuating element of the switch, and means operable from the outer side of said plug for effecting such axial movement of said arm.

4. An explosionproof switch housing comprising a body formed with an internally threaded opening in one side thereof, a sleeve threaded into said opening, a switch mounted on the inner end of said sleeve, a plug threaded into said sleeve, a switch actuating member extending transversely of the inner end of said plug and being pivotally secured at one end to said plug, the opposite end of said member extending in wardly, and means carried by the plug and operable from the outer end thereof to effect movement of said actuating member about its pivot to bring the free end of said actuating member into engagement with said switch.

5. An explosionproof switch housing comprising a body provided with an internally threaded opening in one side thereof, a sleeve threaded in said opening, a switch carried by the inner end of said sleeve, a plug threaded into said sleeve, a switch operating member extending transversely of the inner end of the plug and being pivotally mounted at one end to the plug, a screw threading through the plug from the exterior thereof and being cooperable with said switch operating member to move the free end thereof toward and from said switch, and said plug being provided with means cooperable with the free ends of said switch operating member to guide the same during such movement.

6. An exploslonproof switch housing comprising a body provided with an opening in one side thereof, said body being formed with a threaded portion encircling said opening,- a sleeve threaded on the body, a switch mounted in the housing on said sleeve, a closure member threaded 0n the open end of said sleeve, and means carried by said closure member and engageable with the actuating element of the switch to effect movement of the same to on and of! positions upon rotation of said closure member.

7. An explosionproof switch housing comprising a body formed with an opening in one side thereof and having a threaded portion encircling said opening, a sleeve threaded on the body, a plug threaded to said sleeve, a switch mounted in the body, a switch actuating member extending transversely of the inner end of said plug, one end of said member being movable axially of the plug into and out of engagement with the actuating element of the switch, means carried by the plug and operable from the outer end thereof to effect such movement of the actuating member, and said member and plug having means cooperable to effect rotary movement of said member upon rotation of said plug.

RAYMOND H. OLLEY. 

